In my last post about the Bills, I mentioned how disappointed I was with CJ Spiller’s rookie year. For the record, I wasn’t enamored with the Bills picking him with the 9th pick for the same reasons that everyone else pretty much said. However, I was almost certain that Spiller would have a dynamite year. Hell, I picked him to be the offensive rookie of the year. I just thought that rookie running backs always make the transition to the pro game a lot easier than any other position. Not to mention, I trusted Chan Gailey to do the best job possible to get the ball into his rookie’s hands.

Man, doesn’t that Toronto preseason game against the Colts seem like 20 years ago?

Now, I know it’s still early in the season and things can easily change, but Spiller is starring down a unique path for rookie running backs. And when I say unique, it’s a bad version. Here are Spiller’s stats on the season:

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

7

32

130

18.6

4.1

0

17

76

10.9

4.5

14

6.3

4

1

1

0

Not good, right? As of now, Spiller is on pace to just get over 300 yards rushing for the season. Like I said, it’s easy for Spiller to turn it around, as his numbers have been so gruesome, that he may be able to double his yardage on any given Sunday. However, you are what your stats say you are. As I said earlier, Spiller’s numbers pale in comparison to how other rookie backs have performed over the years.

Since 2005, 19 running backs have been selected in the first round of the draft. Excluding Ryan Mathews and Jahvid Best, who are rookies this year and have exceeded CJ Spiller’s production so far, the rest of the rookie backs that have been selected over the last five years have demolished what CJ Spiller has done so far.

I hate to say it, but if CJ Spiller stays healthy and stays on this uneventful pace for rushing futility, he may have the worst rookie year for a running back drafted in the 1st round in five years.

Ryan Mathews

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2010

San Diego

7

78

340

48.6

4.4

2

13

74

10.6

5.7

17

6.8

4

0

2

2

Jahvid Best

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2010

Detroit

7

91

297

42.4

3.3

4

36

316

45.1

8.8

75

9.7

10

1

1

1

Knowshon Moreno

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2009

Denver

16

247

947

59.2

3.8

7

28

213

13.3

7.6

27

6.3

10

2

4

4

Beanie Wells

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2009

Arizona

16

176

793

49.6

4.5

7

12

143

8.9

11.9

25

9.6

5

0

4

2

Darren McFadden

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2008

Oakland

13

113

499

38.4

4.4

4

29

285

21.9

9.8

27

10.8

13

0

3

1

Jonathan Stewart

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2008

Carolina

16

184

836

52.3

4.5

10

8

47

2.9

5.9

15

6.5

2

0

2

1

Felix Jones

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2008

Dallas

6

30

266

44.3

8.9

3

2

10

1.7

5.0

7

3.5

0

0

0

0

Rashard Mendenhall

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2008

Pittsburgh

4

19

58

14.5

3.1

0

2

17

4.3

8.5

11

6.5

1

0

0

0

Chris Johnson

Year

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2008

Tennessee

15

251

1228

81.9

4.9

9

43

260

17.3

6.0

25

6.8

11

1

1

1

Adrian Peterson

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2007-08

Minnesota

14

238

1341

95.8

5.6

12

19

268

19.1

14.1

60

15.0

13

1

4

3

Marshawn Lynch

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2007-08

Buffalo

13

280

1115

85.8

4.0

7

18

184

14.2

10.2

30

11.3

10

0

2

1

Reggie Bush

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2006-07

New Orleans

16

155

565

35.3

3.6

6

88

742

46.4

8.4

74

8.2

32

2

2

2

Laurence Maroney

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2006-07

New England

14

175

745

53.2

4.3

6

22

194

13.9

8.8

31

10.2

11

1

1

1

DeAngelo Williams

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2006-07

Carolina

13

121

501

38.5

4.1

1

33

313

24.1

9.5

41

10.0

11

1

1

0

Joseph Addai

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2006-07

Indianapolis

16

226

1081

67.6

4.8

7

40

325

20.3

8.1

21

7.6

20

1

2

2

Ronnie Brown

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2005-06

Miami

15

207

907

60.5

4.4

4

32

232

15.5

7.3

38

7.3

12

1

4

4

Carnell Williams

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2005-06

Tampa Bay

14

290

1178

84.1

4.1

6

20

81

5.8

4.1

15

4.2

4

0

3

2

Cedric Benson

Season

Team

G

Rush

Yds

Y/G

Avg

TD

Rec

Yds

Y/G

Avg

Lng

YAC

1stD

TD

Fum

FumL

2005-06

Chicago

9

67

272

30.2

4.1

0

1

3

0.3

3.0

3

8.0

0

0

1

1

Ouch! Those numbers make CJ Spiller look like Ryan Leaf. What makes the numbers look more disturbing are that the backs on this list who struggled statistically during their rookie years battled injuries (Felix Jones, Cedric Benson, Rashard Mendenhall), not playing time. Of course, I’m not saying that Spiller is going to end up a bust, as it’s way too early to see what he can really bring to the table.

However, to see how well the majority of these running backs played during their rookie year, really makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with the Clemson product? Does it have to do with Spiller not being a guy that can run between the tackles? As most of his runs have been to the outside, where our “all-world” tackles are paving the way. Does Chan Gailey not trust the rookie back? Is Fred Jackson that vital of an offensive cog that the Bills can’t take him out of the line-up?

I don’t know about you, but if you’re in rebuilding mode, wouldn’t you want your 1st round pick to touch the ball more than 7 times a game? I’m sorry, but I like Fred Jackson, but by the time the Bills have a chance to turn it around, Jackson will be 31 or 32. Frankly, the Bills need to find ways to get Spiller the ball more and to quote Dick Vermeil: “I think it’s time to take the diapers off.”